1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a child resistant container for stick-type applicators. Such applicator could be for taking samples, e.g. environmental testing, throat cultures, or for providing medication, e.g. in-mouth or rectal application of cancer treatments. The present invention containers are especially useful for preventing access to an applicator in the container after it has been used.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following patents are representative of the state of the art of present invention-related technology:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,727 describes a vial construction including a vial body portion, an open end on said body portion, a tapered rim surrounding said open end, a plug having an entry portion for guidance by said tapered rim, a plug engaging portion on the body portion adjacent to the tapered rim, an interference fit between the entry portion and the plug engaging portion to render the connection there between fluid tight, a locking ring mounted on the outside of the rim and having a flange extending over the rim toward the open end of the container, cam locking members engageable with the flange to lock the plug to the flange, and a cutaway portion on the flange to permit disengagement between the flange and the cam locking members when the plug is rotated to a predetermined circumferential position on the locking ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,780 describes a child resistant container, e.g. a child resistant medicine bottle, which comprises in combination a container having a neck, a plug or other closure insertable in the neck with the plane of its upper surface extending not substantially beyond the plane of the upper surface of the neck, and rotary interengaging means interengaging the closure and the container neck. A key adapted to overlie the closure has gravity-actuated pin and socket means capable of releasably interchanging the closure and the key. Upon application, the key is operative to engage the closure with the neck and to disengage it therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,869 describes a closure assembly which comprises two separable closure members which are pre-assembled in coaxially stacked relationship, with their top panels aligned in the same direction. The lower closure member of the stack assembly comprises locking elements which are pre-assembled in coaxially stacked relationship, with their top panels aligned in the same direction. The lower closure member of the stack assembly comprises locking elements which are engageable with cooperating locking elements on a container, thereby providing a child-resistant closure. The upper closure is a simple snap cap, plug cap, or other closure which is not child resistant. The upper closure is removably attached to the lower child-resistant closure by an interference fit between resilient attachment members integrally formed as parts of the upper and lower closures. The assembly can be separated, for use of the upper closure only for sealing the container, thereby providing a choice between a child-resistant and non child-resistant closure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,648 describes a push-pull dispensing closure for a container includes a child resistant sleeve which is slidably retained between the closure dispensing cap and the closure base member. In its NORMAL position, the sleeve obstructs member. When the sleeve is pushed toward the base member to the READY position, the cap can be gripped for opening movement. The sleeve is molded with a resiliently deformable plastic into which a return force is introduced as the sleeve is pushed toward its READY position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,193 describes a device for expressing liquid absorbed by the tip of a medical swab. The device comprises a barrel and a plunger slidable within the barrel for squeezing the tip of the swab. Liquid is discharged through a flow channel in the container or in the swab shaft. The device is useful particularly to recover small volumes of swab-absorbed liquid where necessary e.g. to carry out clinical essays.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,234 describes a stick like holder and packaging, including an overcap and a sealed, light, moisture and tamper resistant foil pouch, for a hardened, medicated matrix affixed to one end of the holder including detent means for releaseably mounting the overcap on the matrix end of the holder and with the holder having flat, label receiving handle at its other end and a flange to prevent swallowing the holder when placed in a patient's mouth to medicate or pre-medicate the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,811 describes a child resistant cap assembly includes an outer cap member having a top wall and a substantially cylindrical side wall depending therefrom. On the exterior surface of the top wall is a key slot and an alignment aperture. An inner cap member for threadedly engaging a container neck is concentrically received within said outer cap member has a mark and key slot on its top wall. The outer cap member normally rotates independently of the inner cap member. When the outer cap member's alignment aperture registers with the mark on the inner cap member, the key slots are aligned allowing a key member to be inserted therethrough. Accordingly, the inserted key member is then rotated to simultaneously rotate the inner and outer cap. The top wall of the outer cap member also includes means for removably retaining the key thereon.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.